


Blackout

by onereyofstarlight



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:02:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22618330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onereyofstarlight/pseuds/onereyofstarlight
Summary: Episode Tag for 3x21 - Break Out. Scott reacts to the news that Alan chose not to return to save the Mechanic. Meanwhile, everyone else is just happy Alan and Kayo got out alive.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Blackout

“What about the Mechanic?”

“It’s too late, it’s gonna blow any second.”

There was a tense silence in the lounge room as they listened in on Alan and Kayo’s comm channel. Virgil held their Grandma close as she clutched at his arm staring fearfully at the data running across the screen. Brain held his head in his hands, unable or unwilling to analyse the numbers that detailed the strength of the explosion. Scott paced in front of the desk above their heads, refusing to look at anyone.

“John, what’s their status?” asked Gordon, unable to bear the static crackling across the channel any longer. “Did they escape the blast radius?”

“I-I don’t know,” stammered John, his hands flying across streams of data. “Communications has been overwhelmed by radio waves from the blast, there’s too much noise.”

“Do you have eyes on Thunderbird Three?” asked Virgil sharply.

“They got inside, that’s all I know,” he said frantically. “I don’t know if Alan accelerated her fast enough, I don’t know if she’s damaged, I don’t know if she was knocked off course, I just don’t have that information.”

“Calm down John,” said Virgil looking helplessly at his family. “Brains, likely reasons for no communications?”

“The radio waves c-could have c-caused a nuclear blackout,” he said, lifting his head from his shaking hands. “Thunderbird Three could have sustained damage by being hit with debris.”

“Or the ionising effect of the beta particles could have penetrated their ship,” said John, racing through his calculations. “Virg, what if Three’s shielding wasn’t enough.”

“It’s enough John,” said Virgil, sharply. “It has to be enough, we have to have faith in them both.”

“How long would a blackout last?” asked Grandma Tracy, quietly.

Everyone looked at John, his mouth and eyes pinched at their edges as he input the data.

“Eleven minutes,” he said at last. “I’ll set a timer.”

“What happens if we don’t hear from them by then?”

“I don’t know, Gordon,” John snapped. “I’ll think of something.”

The static crackled loudly with no voice to compete against. Every second that counted down on the blue screen felt like the ancient toll of a death knell pounding in Virgil’s head. He knew they were all thinking the same thing, wondering how they could have sent their youngest brother and only sister into harm’s way. Wondering for the first time whether there might be a sacrifice too great to be worth their father’s life.

_“–peat, –underbird Thr–, calling Thund– Five, do you read us?”_

“Kayo,” they all shouted as one, leaping off the couch and leaning as close to the holoscreen as they could without distorting the image.

“Thunderbird Three, this is Thunderbird Five, we’re reading you,” said John, the relief obvious in his voice as he hailed them. “Not loud and not clear, have you experienced significant damage?”

_“Our range has b–n diminished. Ion –ines dam–ged. We’re limp–g but we read you lou– and –ear. Alan says Thun–ird Three needs a –aint job.”_

John chuckled. “FAB, Kayo. We’ll be standing by for docking to assess the damage. EOS, try to clear that channel from noise.”

“Tell Alan if he does that again, I will replace all his gaming files with Buddy and Ellie,” demanded Gordon. His eyes were bright and wide and Virgil realised with a pang that he had never known what it felt like to nearly lose a younger brother before today.

_“Gord–? Are we patched thr–gh to base?”_

There was a short silence and then a new voice came through on the comms.

_“If you touch my files Gordon, I’m telling Grandma.”_

Gordon laughed through tears and grabbed Virgil in a hug. “He’s okay,” he whispered. “How the hell did he manage that?”

His arm snuck out to pull Grandma Tracy into the hug, and then Brains when he tried to shy away.

“Did you retrieve the Mechanic?”

Scott’s voice fell cold and heavy on the celebrations. Virgil stilled in his family’s arms and watched Scott as he moved forward for the first time. There was ice in his eyes and a steel to his posture that made Virgil pull away from the embrace.

“Scott?”

“Did you?”

 _“Scott, there was no time.”_ Kayo’s voice broke in over the comms.

“Damn it Kayo, did you retrieve him or not?”

They heard a sharp intake of breath. _“We did not.”_

The roar of helpless, shocked anger that fell from their eldest brother’s lips incited a flurry of motion around them. The blue cast of the hologram immediately died as John quickly severed communications. Virgil turned and bundled Grandma Tracy into Gordon’s arms, Brains backing away in sudden terror as Scott turned and punched at the wall.

“Scott, stop,” shouted Virgil, a sick feeling spreading through his gut. “What the hell?”

“Go upstairs,” he snapped, looking over his shoulder at Gordon, who nodded quickly and tugged at Brains’ arm.

Virgil knew his best chance would be to use physical force, something he was loathe to do under normal situations. What he had in brute strength, Scott matched in emotion and he struggled with his brother before pulling one arm behind his back.

He should have seen this coming, Virgil thought, they’d all seen the signs of stress building in Scott, the bubbling anger and desperation forcing themselves through the cracks as the long months of waiting took its toll.

“Are you done?” he demanded, throwing Scott onto the couches below.

Scott’s eyes widened as he looked up at the sight of Virgil standing over him. Virgil could see blood smeared over his knuckles and sighed.

“Let me see that,” he grumbled climbing down next to him on the couch.

“I’m sorry,” said Scott looking past him with blank eyes. “I just–”

“Sorry’s not enough this time, Scott,” said Virgil, shaking his head. “That was…” he trailed off, watching Scott closely. “I haven’t seen that since–”

“Mom,” said Scott flatly. “I know.”

They were quiet for a moment.

“What the hell though, Scott?” said Virgil finally. “You can’t seriously be angry over the mission.”

Scott stiffened beneath his hands.

“They should have gone back for him,” he spat angrily. “We risk _everything_ for the people we save, they should have done something.”

“What could they do?” demanded Virgil. “What would you have done that Alan didn’t?”

“He should never have made that call,” ranted Scott as though he hadn’t heard him. “How could he leave him, Dad always taught us it was never too late to save a life.”

“Dad never taught Alan at all.”

Virgil watched, concern creased into his frown as Scott struggled to hold himself together at the words.

“Scott, no one is worth sacrificing to get Dad back. This has already killed one man, and if Alan hadn’t made that call there would be four bodies up there. Is that what you want? Is that what Dad would have wanted?”

“You don’t understand,” Scott whispered. “I have to get him back, I can’t…” He groped clumsily at Virgil’s shirt. “Virg, I can’t keep being him.”

The words are whispered, a secret to be kept between the two eldest in a family strung out on hope.

“You never were him,” said Virgil, pulling his brother close. “We never wanted you to be him.”

His heart twisted viciously in his chest as he looks down upon a man he’s spent a lifetime looking up to.

“Just say the word and we’ll stop, Scott. You’ve gone way beyond your limits on this one.”

“We can’t stop now. Not when we know he’s out there.”

“I don’t want to see you dragging us all over the ledge,” said Virgil. “You need to stop, you need to think about how much you’re really willing to lose to get him back. We don’t have a Plan B on this one.”

He nudged Scott with his foot. “You also really, _really_ , need to apologise to Brains. For a start.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” said Scott, scrubbing at his face. “But first, I’m gonna… I need to sort my head out.”

He stood and walked up the stairs, presumably towards his room. Virgil’s sharp ear could hear the low murmur of Grandma Tracy’s voice as she met him at the top of the stairs.

A quiet beep indicated an incoming communication from John.

“How is he?” he asked, quietly.

“Been better,” said Virgil. “Did Alan hear?”

John shook his head. “Sorry to leave you like that. Gordon okay?”

“Think so.”

John nodded, his eyes darting offscreen. “Alan and Kayo have just docked. Three doesn’t look too bad from here, should only be a couple of hours.”

“Delay it John,” said Virgil, sitting up quickly. “Or send them back with Rigby for a debrief. He’s going to need some time.”

“You’re sure?” asked John hesitantly. “Was it that bad?”

“You didn’t see it. It was like we’d killed Dad right in front of him.”

John was silent for a moment, the pinched look setting back in around his eyes.

“Virgil, what happens if we get there and…” he took a deep breath, but the frightened look stayed in his eyes. “It’s been eight years, Virg. At what point do we accept this may be a recovery operation?”

“What did Dad always say?”

“It’s never too late to save a life,” said John automatically.

“So until we see him for ourselves, John? This is a rescue.”

John nodded. “Copy that. Five out.”

**Author's Note:**

> Cross posted from Tumblr. Originally posted on 19/01/2020.
> 
> Thank you for reading!!


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